Curious curious indeed
by Carriedreamer
Summary: L/T 10 years after PH The marketplace is abuzz with gossip about them, the royal court simply doesnn't know what to make of them. But really, is there any truth at all in the rumors surrounding the troubled marriage of the King and Queen of New Hyrule?


Another oneshot, I don't know why, but oneshots keep coming out when it should be a DCITOP ( Destiny comes in the strangest of packages) chapter... but... I hope this is good anyway. It's a very different style, again, these style excercises of mine, will they ever end? Hope you enjoy it anyway.

Timeline- many years after WW and PH, who knows, ten maybe?

Rating- T

Disclaimer- I don't own the Legend of Zelda series.

* * *

Everyone knows gossip is _always_ true.

For how else would it come into existence?

The newly constructed marketplace was abuzz with the latest sad news of the marriage of the two.

For really who could blame them?

It was such an unfortunate tale.

To have such a young, truly ill suited couple wed simply seemed cruel. And the fact that since they _all_ knew it was true meant it most certainly _had _to be true.

It also certainly hadn't been… well…. One gets the idea.

And it was well known from a perfectly acceptable source, that the poor boy had been in love with another!

And the young woman…. Scandalously…. Had been the one who had refused to… _do the deed._

That last part was always repeated in whispers.

And always, directed towards the vast palace overlooking the market place.

The throne room in this palace, was elegant, well constructed and vast. The well dressed court seemed to be thrust into the background, in comparison to the well constructed room they occupied. The large windows reflected beautiful colors onto the floor, reds, greens, blues, golds and purples.

It was a paradise, a wonderful place to call home, the palace had been the first constructed and finished last. But the effort was simply worth it.

It was a place of serenity, of glories of the future and past…

A young, elegantly dressed, couple, they simply could not be past their mid twenties, occupied the place of honor.

But… yet… the court visibly cowered.

The King, was a sweet, gentle soul, who despite his colorful past, still remained calm and peaceful. His remarkably wide eyes, fair hair, and according to many wistful souls, highly kissable mouth and slender, muscular form made him an object of admiration. Many whispered behind hands, the King simply resembled an angel.

His Queen however….

A different matter entirely…

And it was this soul, to whom the court, and the unfortunate lass in front of her cowered from.

She was a remarkably beautiful young woman, with startling blue eyes, and perfect figure, and waves of flowing golden hair. Outwardly… the two were an incredibly beautiful couple.

But unlike the gentle king, the Queen was shrill, cold, perhaps even cruel as described by some with the most daring. She was aloof, never speaking to those below her, vain and domineering. Never one to show patience or mercy to those who disobeyed her, it was she who the court feared.

The court knew , the match had forced upon them both, for reasons of state and diplomacy.

It was… and had been an obvious match, the one who found and built the magnificent city and had been of the royal bloodline, and the man who had saved them from the darkness which had threatened to engulf them all…

But… as sad truth sayers knew, the King had been in love with a sweet lass from the city of Windfall… Din Bless the two, it had been a sad, heartbreaking farewell, and the cruel queen who had once been a pirate had certainly not helped matters, banishing his love from the city. Another source had revealed the horrifying sordid details of the King's prior enslavement on the pirate ship, being forced from his family and friends, and then horror above horror!

He had been forced to marry his very captor!

Jealous and irritable, the queen now raged at the poor sweet lass who the king had been seen with, who everyone simply _knew _must have tried to restore the king's happiness, and simply been caught by the cruel raging queen.

So the King found appeasement with another…

Good God who could blame him!?

The lass was dismissed with a curt order, and the court were careful not to show their sadness at the innocent girl's plight.

Such a sad… sad situation.

Their angel king… married to a devil woman…

The two got up at the same time to retire, and the usual slew of curtsies and bows which followed them wherever they went ensued. The king had a pained look on his face, and the queen's face was simply ice like.

Poor lad… Poor lad….

* * *

His hold was gentle, his hand gently pressed upon her back.

She had an arm wrapped around his waist, it seemed timid, even sad.

Her hair was still wrapped in it's severe twist, and only a single lock strayed from the bun. But that single lock shone like spun gold and he played with it in his fingers, her face softened almost immediately, but her expression didn't change.

It was however not angry… it seemed unsure… almost… shy…

They stopped at the queen chamber door, awkward and gentle, he turns the latch, she feels a catch in her throat, and her grip suddenly gets tighter.

The private rooms of the Queen were a mystery to most, strangely enough she would let only the king in them, not even a female servant, none knew what they looked like, some whispered it must have been a terrible place, of torture? Perhaps mementos of her bloody past littered the walls…But no, it was simply a small room, littered with mementos yes, but of mememtos of them both. A single blue couch occupied one wall, a rather crude desk another. Two portraits, one a severe looking woman, and another of a kindly old man dressed in red. There were photos as well, of happy times, of peace, of island life. But yes, there was one single reminder of the King's past, in the darkest, secluded corner, a chest, filled with weapons and gadgets the likes no one had ever before seen, sealed tight, the only key wound around the King's neck... And only the Queen had heard the tales, whispered from his lips, of each monster, of each death trap, of each blood stained wall, and each new scar... but one does not speak openly about these things... it is better to be left in the past.

He sighed and sat down upon the small couch, removing the coronet from his fair locks, freeing his shaggy hair from the constricting accessory at last.

The Queen sat at the small, crude desk, her shoulders moving up, down, staring in the mirror with a peculiar expression on her face, fear? Loathing? A mixture of both? It cannot be said nor determined. Her fingers shook when they touched the magnificent matching coronet to her husband's.

He gets up, they are alone now, there is no danger, his own fingers, almost as if they are experienced with this ritual, deftly maneuver the complicated twists of the braid and inter-braided gems from her hair, the severe twist disentangling itself, until it falls in a wave across his arm, and only then does the coronet finally come off, and set on the crude table.

They stare at themselves in the mirror, wide eyes mirroring the other's. They both dwell on the severe portrait which inhabits the north wall, and the other, more gentle portrait which lies to their left. Her eyes dwell longest on the northern, his on the left.

No words are spoken, the king was never one for words.

She finally utters a long deep sigh, and turns from him.

He wraps his arms around her thin waist, she gives an involuntary shiver.

They both sigh now, his voice is husky, warm, content dare it be said.

Her's low, gentle, yet exhausted.

She leans into him, he rests his chin on her shoulder.

A deep friendship, suddenly forced to be something more, the fear they both had, of losing that cherished bond, in favor of something more dangerous… something infinitely more fragile, yet something infinitely more…

It is alien… these sensations which arise when they are alone and not forever scrutinized. Him for a sight of wandering eyes, her for jealousy… or a full belly. It is contentment, it is without fear, fear they've both had since slipping the all too tight ring on the other's finger. It is something which the gossip does not take into account, does not take in consideration.

No, it only takes the image they both present to protect the other, the image she presents to keep her throne… the image he presents to keep the public eye off her.

The fear which only he knows exists, the fear he's always known has existed.

The fear he'll do anything to keep from being exposed.

She murmurs his name, apologizes, he holds her tighter, and shakes his head.

What need is there for apologies?

She insists, he listens, the same as always, she finishes, he hugs her closer.

She asks him again… about the prior loves he has said, and he simply shakes his head.

Rumors he knows, none are true, the Windfall lass, was nothing more than a mere infatuation, it had resulted in nothing. All these sordid tales of his "secret farewell" and such.

Such nonsense.

She sighs again, exhaustion evident in her breath. He looks upon the window, the moon was high… it was high time…

He gives a shy smile, she gives one back, it is awkward still, despite two years standing, to think of such things. To know it is scrutinized to the most humiliating detail, that it is discussed in whispers.

He presses a hand to her stomach, she places a hand on his.

They know what it is they speak of, what they want, from them as a unit, not them as people… as individuals.

The gossip will go on forever, the voices will never stop.

They look at the empty bed, her face turning crimson, his own mirroring .

There is no word spoken. None are needed.

She clings to him for support, which he knows she'll never admit, her pride would never recover, she closes her eyes after a long while still not letting go, he watches until her grip loosens, when he knows she is at last asleep. He wraps his arms around her slim form, when she is safely unaware, and closes his own eyes.

He murmurs before falling into a dream state the three words he dare never say aloud to her, the words the market place will never utter.

His last secret to the world. A secret he will take to his grave.

The three fatal words which he fears above all else will ruin him…and her.

He falls into his dreams, he does not notice the sudden tightening of her grip nor her moving closer, coming to rest on his chest, and falling back asleep, murmuring as she descends back into sleep, the same three words, she dared not speak to him…

* * *

The market place is abuzz with news, the latest court scandal, the newest intrigue from the border islands.

The most puzzling of mysteries.

The Shrew Queen had forced another of the King's loves away from the city, the girl was said to be weeping most fitfully, for they truly had been in love, a source had said.

The King… their poor gentle king…

But yet….

It is and still was most surprising to hear… that just as every other puzzling and strange morning…

That again… their good and gentle king….

Had been found sleeping most peacefully and contently… at the Cruel queen's side…

Just as he had been found every other morning…

Curious… Curious indeed….

_fin_

* * *

Well, it was interesting to write, and it shows that gossip really can't be believed now can it! And for all those wondering, really, an arranged marriage b/w close friends, how awkward can you get? So I hope that the King and Queen's actions towards each other were semi-realistic at least due to the situation.

Leave a review if you can, should I continue in this style, or was it horrible beyond all reason? I'd love to hear from all who read it. I'll have a new chapter up for DCITOP up soon enough too! sayonara!


End file.
